Clutch construction



om 4, 1927. M4454 C. B. sPAsE.

CLUTCH coNsTRUcTioN A TTORNEYS.

Oct. 4, 1927.l

y C. B. SPASE cLUTH CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 11, 1924 2 sheets-sheer 2 .w@www Y JNVENTOR.

' vA TTORNEYS lPatented Oct. `4, 19217.

UNITED; STATES attesa Param, orties.

l CHARLES B. -SPASR on sYRACUsE, NRW YoRK, AssrCNoR To BROWN-HPR GEARCoiuv PANN, or sYRAcUsn, NRW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEWHYCRR'.

l CLUTCH CoNsTRUCrI'oN.

Application filed November 11, 1924. Serial No. 749,161.

This'invention relates to friction clutches having a pressure member orring to which,

f the pressure is applied to engage .the clutch through operatingmechanism including a plurality of motion transmitting parts or leversand has for its object a particularly vwhereby the spring pressure isapplied to the pressure member substantially equally throughout thepressure area thereof. 10ther objects appear throughout thespecification.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations andconstructions lhereinafter set forth and claimed.

' In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts 2 in allof the views.

Figure'l isa vertical sectional view of a clutch embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a section taken approximately on line 2 2, Fig; 1. l Figure3. is a sectional view on line 3-3, Fig. 1. v Y

In friction clutches as multiple disk clutches, a plurality of springsissometimes used to act directly upon the pressurexmember which .3lcompresses the disks to engage them in driving relation. In frictionclutches having small friction facev area compared with mul;

tiple Vdisk clutches, andI in which the spring v pressurel is multipliedthrough levers, as so vcalled single plate clutches, the clutch isengaged by a single spring acting through motion transmitting parts, aslevers, which multiply or increase the power of the spring pressure,suchspring being a singIe spring actp ing on all the motiontransmittingl parts or Alevers and being' arranged coaxially with theclutch. y

This invention comprises a friction clutch having a friction ring whichis operated through a plurality of motion transmitting parts or leverswhich distribute and multiply the spring power and a plurality ofsprings, as an annular, series of springs acting. on such parts orlevers substantially equally so that and driven elements, one of whichincludes a the pressure is napplied to the pressure mem- 5 berlsubstantially equally throughout its annular or engaging surfaces andhence the engagement of the clutch is equal throughout the relativelysmall friction surface, in contra-'distinction to more at some pointsthan at others.

In so called single plate clutches in which the friction surface iscomparatively small, the equal application of the pressure throughoutthe fricton surface is of highest importance in order to obtain anefficient and nonslipping operation of the clutch.

This clutch comprises, generally, driving pressure member or ring whichis movable axially, operating means including, what for brevitys sake,is called a throw-out collar, operator-'operated in one direction by alever or ,clutch pedal to disengage the clutch and in the otherdirectionnby spring means to engage 4the clutch, a pluralityofclikemotionv transmitting parts, as levers extendin in a general directionoutwardly from the t owout collar and coacting with the pressure member`or ring, and spring means acting on such parts to apply the pressuresubstantially equal y to all o said parts and hence to apply pressuresubstantially equally to the pressure member or ring throughout thecircle or pressure area y*of the pressure ring.

1 designates the driving element which is usually the fly` wheel of aninternal combustion engine, the fly wheel being usually provided with`acylindrical recess 2 opening .through its rear face.v The drivenelement v comprises a shaft 3v arranged coaxially with the drivingelement 1 and usually having a pilot bearing at 4 therein, a frictionmember or plate 5 having a hub 6 slidably keyed or splined to the, shaft3, and also an 'annular portion 7 'opposed to the bottom of the recess2, such annular portion being provided with friction plates or disks 8on opposite sides` thereof. The driving element further comprises anaxiallyy movable pressure member u 9 having an annular portion 10opposed to the ring or annular portion `8 Qf the plate 5, and means foroperating the' pressure memas having a radial flange or key 11interlocked with the ay wheel 1 as will 'be hereinafter described.

As here shown the pressure member 9 is formed with a hub 12 enclosing orarranged concentric with theshaft 3-and' spaced apart from the peripheryof such shaft. I

The operating means includes a throwout collar or sleeve 13 slidableaxially of the shaft 3 within the hub 12 and having a throwl5 out'bearing 14 at its rear end with which coacts the yoke 15 suitablymounted on a rock shaft 16 on which the usual clutch-pedal is mounted,motion transmitting means between this throw-out collar 13 and-thepressure ring 9, and an annular series 'of springs arranged to act onthe motion transmitting arts so that the pressure of the spring means41s, transmitted'substantially equally to said ring throughout thecircle thereof; The

springmeans as will be understood acts 0ppositely to the yoke -15 whichis operated bv the clutch pedal, andnormally acts to hold the clutchengaged.

The throw-out'collarv or sleeve 13 is here 30. shown as h avingassociated therewith outwardly extending arms 17 which extend throughlengthwisel slots 18 in the huby of the pressure member 9, these armsbeingv provided on a ring 19 thrusting u against a lock ring or shoulder2O arranged ina peripheral groove at the inner end of the throw-outsleeve 13. The lock ring may be of any well known form, size andconstruction.

The motion transmitting parts between .the throw-out collar and the.pressure ring' comprise a plurality of outwardly extending levers 21connected at their inner ends to the throw-out collar to partake of themove- ,ment thereof and fulcrumed at 22' near their outer ends andthrusting at 23 between their ends and near their outer fulcrum points,on bearings provided on the pressure ring 9. As here shown lthe fulcrumy22 is annular in form and provided on an inwardly extending annularange 24 formed on a ring or back plate 25 adjustably secured to thedriving element 1 to rotate therewith. Preferably, this ring or backplate 25 threads lnto a ring 26l secured to the driving elemental at theentrance of the recess 2, as by screws 27 extending through a `fiange 28on Ithe ring 26 and into the driving elev ment 1. suchflange 28 lappingthe rear face of` thev driving element 1'. The ring 26 is provided withone or more slots 26a fon 'receiving'I the keys 11 of the pressure ringsc thatthe pressure ring rotates with the drlvmg element 1. The bearing23 ofthe pressure ring against which the levers act,

is here shown as the edge of a rearwardly extendingl annular iange 29 onthe pressure ring 9 yor the annular portion 10 thereof.

The levers 21 are connected at their inner ends to a spring abutment 3()movable with the throw-out collar 13, this spring abutment being annularin general form and surrounding the hub 12 of the pressure member 9 andinterlocked with the arms 17 associated with the throw-out sleeve 13.This spring abutment 3() is illustratedy as formed with a groove 31 -for-receiving the inner ends of' the levers 21. As here illustrated, thearms 17 are provided with lengthwise tongues 32 interitting inlengthwise slots 33 in the inner face of the annular spring abutment 30,the arms 17 having .heads or shoulders 34 at their rear ends againstwhich the'rear 1 end of the portion of the abutment .30 thrusts.

The groove 31 in which the inner ends of the levers 21 are arranged isprovided by 'a ring 35 interlocked in the abutment 3Q in any suitablemanner and also the abutment 30 has an annular bearing flange 36 opposedto the ring 35. The inner ends of the levers 21 extend between the ring35 and the flange precaution against displacement o fr the levers Zoutof the groove 31. The annular 36 and are bent rearwardly as at 37 -as aspring abutment 30 is formed withv a plurality-of sockets or recesses38.

The construction of the levers 21 per se forms no part of thisinvention. lThe levers here shown are segments of a discoidal plate andpreferably age arranged with the side edges of each ,contiguous to. thesidel edges of Ithe next levers. v

39 designates the springs arranged in annular series, these springshaving their inner ends arranged in the 'sockets 38 and their outer endsthrusting against a relatively ixed' spring abutment here shown ascarried by the rear end of the hub12 of the pressure member 9. Thisfixed spring abutment comprises an annular plate or ring 40 encirclingthe rear end ofthe hub 12 and thrusting against a lock ring or shoulder41 arranged ina peripheral groove in the hub 12, the hub 12 having alengthwise slot 42 in which a tongue 43 on the ring 40 projects to lockthe ring 40 and the hub 12 together so that they rotate as a unit.

. Sockets in the form of thimbles 44 are arranged in openings in thering 40 and the such sockets.

Owing tothe plurality of springs or an annular series of springs actingon the levers 21. the spring 'pressure is applied subidear ends of thesprings 39 are seated in stantially equally throughout the pressure Yring` so that the clutch is held engaged by friction distributed-equally throughout the area of the pressure ring.

Preferably, there is one spring 39 for a carried by the ring` 26 andextending between lugs as 46 on the ring 25, these lugs serving as ameans for engaging the ring 25 to turn it. i 'The throw-out sleeve, ring19 etc., are held from relative displacement and the throw-out sleevereturned rearwardly or caused to follow the yoke arms 15 by a relativelylight spring 47 interposed between the throw-outbearing 14` and anabutment ring 48 thrusting against the rear end of the hub 12 of thepressure member. c

'Owing to the use of a plurality or annular series of springs actingthrough a plurality of levers 21, the pressure of the springs is appliedequally throughout the annular bearing surface 23 of the pressure ringand hence the pressure ring 10 isl engaged with a single plate and thesingle vplate engaged with the driving element or the bottom of therecess 2 substantially equally throughout regardless of slightmisalinement.

Owing to thev arrangement of the springs, and the assembly ofthe spring.abutments, thethrow-out sleeve and the pressure ring` and the levers,these parts can be removed and replaced as a unit without; the use ofspecial tools and withoutreleasing the tension' of the springs. Suchremoval and replacement is desirable in order to renew the frictiondisks;

WhatsI claim is: `v

1. In a friction clutch, the combination of driving and driven elements,one of said elements comprising an axially shiftable pressure member forengaging and disengaging the clutch and an axially located clutch rshaft, operating means ineluding an operator controlled throw-out membermovable along the shaft, the pressure member. being formed with a hubsurrounding the shaft and provided with lengthwise slots toward itsinner end, the throw-out member comprising a sleeve slidable on theshaft within the hub and having arms extending through .the lengthwiseslot-s, an annular abutment surrounding the hub and thrusting. againstsaid arms, a second abutmentb opposed to the irst abutment and carriedbysaid hub, a series of annular springs between the abutments and leversbetween the first mentioned abutment and the pressure member.

2. In a single plate clutch, including an annular p ssure ring having ahub formed with lengt wise slots, a shaft extending through the hub. athrow-out collar slidabler i `'on the shaft within the hub, andoutwardly extending arms on the throw-out collar ex-V tending throughtheV slots in the hub, the

combination of a spring abutment thrusting against said arms, a secondspring abutment on the hub and opposed to the former spring abutments,and motion transmitting parts between the throw-out collar and thepressure ring.

i 3. In a single plate clutch, including an annular pressure ring havinga hub formed series of springs interposed between the abutments, and aplurality of like motion transmittingA means between the' throw-outcollar and the pressure ring.

y 4. In a single plate clutch, including an annular pressure ring havinga hub formed with lengthwise slots, a shaft extending through the hub, athrow-out collar slidable on the shaft within the hub, and havingoutwardly extending arms extending through the-slots in the hub, thecombination of op'- posing spring abutments carried respectively by saidarms and by the hub; and an annular series of springs betweenthe springabutments. and outwardly extending levers connected at their inner endsto the throw-out the pressure ring.

to the'former spring abutment, anv annular 5. In. a single platevclutch, including an annular pressure member having a hub formed withlengthwise slots, a shaft extending through the hub, a throw-out collarslidable on the shaft within said hub and being provided with outwardlyextending arms extending through the slots in the hub, a plurality ofmotion transmitting parts extending outwardly relatively to the throwoutcollar and coa'cting with the pressure ring, opposing spring abutments'coacting respectively with the throw-out collar and with said hub, anannular series of springs between the spring abutments, said abutments,springs, .and motion transmitting` parts being self-contained with thethrowout collar and the pressure member, whereby the pressure memberandthrow-out collar areremoved as a unit without upsetting the springs.

ments lcomprising an axially shiftable. parese- 'y sure member forvengaging Aand ,disengaglng a friction clutch, the combination ofdriving and driven elements, one ofsaid elethe `clutch and an. axiallylocated' clutchf shaft and operating means including throw-out'membermovable along the shaft,l

.the pressure member having a hubl enclosing-f.

lao

70 abutment, springs interposed between the a portionl of the throw-outmember and the 'throw-out member and the hub having relative axialmovement, a spring abutment surrounding theI hub and thrusting againstthe 5 throw-out member, motion transmitting 1evers between the abutmentand the pressure member, asecond abutment carried by the 'hub and 'anannular series of springs between the abutments.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 10 signed my name, at Syracuse, inthe county g 'of Onondaga and State of News.7 York, this 27th day ofctober, 1924:.

CHARLES yB. SPASE.

